


Ghost Stories

by surprisepink



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Female My Unit | Byleth, Post-Canon, references their CF ending specifically
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:55:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27434689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surprisepink/pseuds/surprisepink
Summary: Mercedes' love of spooky tales has a greater effect on Byleth than expected.
Relationships: Mercedes von Martritz/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 9
Kudos: 23
Collections: Femslash Exchange 2020





	Ghost Stories

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunfish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunfish/gifts).



“Have you heard, Professor, about the phantom of this church?”

The nickname didn’t give Byleth pause—her wife still used it occasionally, long after the brief, impromptu teaching position Byleth had when they'd met—but her words did. Byleth had heard her share of tall tales: mercenaries weaving half-truths about their victories and fishermen swearing that their catch was _this big_ were just part and parcel of meeting as many people as she had. And so ghost stories didn’t bother her much. Even if they had any truth to them, she’d faced creatures far more frightening than a few of the deceased that have chosen to stick around to say “boo”.

But she was curious to know more; she could—she _did—_ listen to Mercedes talk for hours. With her cheerful cadence and her knack for taking note of the sort of details that Byleth was inclined to overlook, her wife could make even a simple tale about going to the marketplace sound interesting.

Silently, Byleth shook her head. No, she _hadn’t_ heard the tale _—_ but she’d like to.

Mercedes needed no more encouragement than that. “Wonderful! In that case, let me be the first to tell you!” she said, clapping her hands together. There was a smile on her face and in her voice both. “This tale takes place in this very church, you know. It really does!”

Byleth eyed the stone walls with curiosity and doubt. They’d stopped in the old building for the foreseeable future only because of a sudden thunderstorm that interrupted their weekend trip. Byleth had had half a mind to press on, to enjoy the feeling of the rain pounding on her skin and the excitement of fighting against nature itself. But danger wasn’t as much of a thrill as it once was, not when she had a wife to think of and children in their care. Besides, drying out her clothing afterwards would be a nuisance.

All that was to say that there was nothing particularly special about this church _—_ it just so happened to be in the right place at the right time. There wasn’t a single soul there other than the two of them, and Mercedes took full advantage of that, seating herself on the front pew. Byleth didn’t need to be invited to join her. She sat down beside her wife automatically, watching as she smoothed her skirts just so.

The rain was getting heavier, Byleth noted, and the thunder louder. Hopefully they wouldn’t have to stay the night here, though it was far from the worst place she had slept.

“It was a rainy night like this one, and two lovely young women were here, much like ourselves,” Mercedes began. There was a glint in her eye, the same one she got when she was about to tell the children about the faeries that would tie their shoelaces together if they’re naughty. “They entered, calling for a priest or a cleric _—_ anyone to reassure them that their presence was welcome _—_ though they knew it ought to be, in a place like this. There was no answer to their calls, and they saw nobody. It was empty.”

Byleth nodded, intrigued _—_ though if it was a ghost story, she supposed they would find a ghost one way or another.

Mercedes continued. “Still, they entered, the need for shelter more important than their hesitation. The first woman said that the two of them ought to go to sleep, but the second wished to explore. And so they bickered a bit, but in the end neither wished to give in. In the end, one woman, too curious to ignore the intrigue of an empty chapel, left the other to explore.

“Although she was with her dearest one, the daring explorer felt almost as if she was all alone as she searched through such an old building with so many secrets. She knew that there had been weddings here, and funerals. People had met their dearest friends here, gotten into fights, and made up. A church isn’t just a building, after all. And she saw so many treasures, little trinkets like jeweled cups and silver boxes. She didn’t think of stealing them for even a moment, but she thought it was odd that they wouldn’t be placed somewhere safer. And then, as she reached a particular item, the most intricate and beautiful of all.”

Mercedes paused at that, and Byleth leaned in closer, curious. Intoxicated by her words. Byleth had half a mind to explore the church herself when she had first entered, so she listened to her wife with baited breath. Maybe Mercedes knew something she didn’t, after all?

“What next?” Byleth said when Mercedes didn’t continue.

“Oh!” said Mercedes in mock surprise. “You were listening, darling.”

“I always listen to you.” Byleth had been told that she’s not particularly expressive, but that sort of thing has never bothered Mercedes. Her wife was teasing her, not questioning.

“Well... the woman touched the item, with its intricate designs and-” Mercedes cocked her head in a storyteller’s mock puzzlement. “I don’t recall what the item _was_ , exactly, but it doesn’t matter. When she touched it, a chill went through her. Quickly she withdrew her hand, but it seemed to be too late. The room was colder than before. She wondered what had happened _—_ and, more importantly, what had happened to the other woman.

A chill ran through Byleth’s own body at the words. It was too easy to imagine every moment of the story happening to the two of them when they were here tonight. They had survived a war together, but even that didn't mean they were invincible.

“So she turned back,” Mercedes continued, “desperate to be by her loved one’s side. But...”

A snap of Mercedes’ fingers made a tiny magical spark and Byleth took a sharp breath of surprise.

“Before her was a great phantom, tall as the church’s organ and almost as wide. The phantom screamed, loud and long, and the woman screamed with it. She never made it back to her loved one! The legend says that she was found in the church the next morning, shocked and alone.”

“And the other woman?” Byleth asked.

“Nobody knows!” Mercedes replied with a grin. She was always like this when she told stories, always excited to share, and most of the time Byleth found it charming. Tonight, her cheerful tone was disconcerting. “It’s an interesting story, isn’t it?”

“It’s a spooky story.”

“That’s what makes it fun, right?”

Byleth nodded. “We should go to sleep now,” she said, too quickly. _And I will not look at any of the antiques that caught my eye as I entered, not even as a curiosity_ she silently added. Even if the story wasn’t true, the risk now seemed too great.

It was easy enough to find a comfortable place to sleep: there were some cushions in the corner that Mercedes noted were probably intended for people to sit on the floor for more intimate gatherings, and that was more than enough for both of them. As soon as they were situated, Mercedes seemed to fall asleep almost instantly. That much came as no surprise. She tended to tire more quickly during their more arduous travel days.

That was all well and good, but even as she watched the slow rise and fall of her wife’s chest as she slept, usually the most soothing sight she could imagine, Byleth was unable to relax. The story had somehow wormed its way into her mind, had burrowed deep and settled in. It had been a mere whimsy, Byleth knew, and Mercedes had no doubt expected Byleth’s typical reaction of stoic enjoyment.

Unintentionally, she had hit a nerve. It was impossible for Byleth to stop telling herself the story over and over again in her head, impossible for her to leave behind the fear she’d feel if the same thing had happened to her.

In her arms, Mercedes slept soundly. Safely. It wasn’t enough.

Byleth had never awoken her father as a child, not even when she’d had a nightmare. It hadn’t even occurred to her that was something that most children did until she had her own group in her care. So she felt quite childish indeed when she gently shook Mercedes’ shoulder, needing to hear her voice and see her smile again. It couldn’t wait until morning.

Mercedes’ light eyelashes fluttered open. She’d always been a light sleeper. “Byleth?” she asked, her voice sweet even as it was heavy with sleep. “Is something the matter?”

Words had never come easily to Byleth, but she had learned over the years that they were often the only way to make her intentions clear. It had been worth it to learn to articulate her feelings _—_ for Mercedes, her family.

“I can’t sleep,” Byleth said.

“Poor thing! I’d make you some tea, but I didn’t bring any herbs, and it’s a bit late to look for them.”

Byleth shook her head. “No, you don’t need to. I just wanted to see you.”

Mercedes rolled over to face Byleth, her clear blue eyes dark with concern. “See me?”

“It’s silly, but...”

As Mercedes continued to wake, realization crossed her face. “Did I scare you?”

Byleth frowned slightly, and nodded. It was a clumsy response, especially when they were lying down, but Mercedes seemed to understand it.

“I’ll tell you a secret.” Mercedes smiles mischievously. “If you didn’t already know. I made the whole thing up. I thought it would be funny to scare you, but I think it might have worked too well.”

There have been phantoms in Byleth’s life and Mercedes’ both. Neither of them allows herself to be held down by them, but ghosts have a way of haunting you when you least expect it. That night, when they were alone together with the storm rattling the church’s roof, it was too easy for Byleth to remember the last time she’d lost someone. The first time she’d really felt alone.

“I’m not afraid of ghosts,” Byleth said. “But I’m afraid of losing you.”

Mercedes’ eyes grew wide, but then, understanding, she smiled. “Come closer then. I’m right here.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow my [fic twitter](https://twitter.com/surprisepink_) or my [regular twitter](https://twitter.com/seraphknights) if you're into that.


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